Deputies: Former student arrested after threats force Brevard school lockdown

Updated: Apr 30, 2013 - 3:05 PM

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Deputies: Former student arrested after threats force Brevard school lockdown

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A former Brevard County high school student is in custody Tuesday evening. He's accused of sending a threatening text that forced Merritt Island High School into lockdown.

No one was allowed on or off the campus during the lockdown that came Tuesday afternoon.

Deputies said they weren't taking any chances with a possible threat to students.

"You hear all these sirens and you're concerned when you have a kid going here," said parent Kris Jones.

Jones said that while he was concerned, the Sheriff's Office presence was reassuring.

"They need to be very cautious," said Jones.

Deputies surrounded the campus because of a text message sent to a current student.

"The message wasn't directed at the student who received the message, the message was directed at other students at the school, so we didn't know exactly where the suspect was," said Major John Mellick of the Brevard County Sheriff's Department.

The Sheriff's Office wouldn't say exactly what that message said. But, deputies immediately began searching for the person they suspected sent the text.

They said they were able to locate the man a few miles from the school, at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach.

"He will eventually be charged. Right now we're going to go through the interview process," said Mellick.